Arjun Rampal: Biography, Personal Life, Dhurandhar Fees & Facts

Arjun Rampal has been Bollywood’s go-to ‘cool guy’ for over two decades, winning a National Film Award for Rock On!! and commanding attention in the 2024 crime thriller Dhurandhar. The curiosity around him now isn’t just about his filmography — it’s about the numbers behind the contracts and the relationships that shaped his life off-camera.

Born: November 26, 1972 ·
Profession: Actor and model ·
National Film Award: Best Supporting Actor for Rock On!! (2008) ·
Films: 40+ ·
Ex-wife: Mehr Jesia ·
Partner: Gabriella Demetriades

Seven key facts about Rampal’s profile, drawn from the most consistent reporting across entertainment and news sources:

How many wives does Arjun Rampal have?

Who is Arjun Rampal’s first wife?

Arjun Rampal was married to Mehr Jesia, a former model, from 1998 until their divorce in 2019. The couple has three children together: two daughters and a son (Aaj Tak, Indian news channel). Jesia was a prominent figure during Rampal’s early career, often appearing alongside him at industry events. The marriage spanned 21 years before the couple separated.

Who is Arjun Rampal’s current partner?

Since 2019, Rampal has been in a relationship with Gabriella Demetriades, a fashion entrepreneur and model. The couple has two children together and, according to reports from Aaj Tak (Indian news outlet), they have been in a live-in relationship for six to seven years. News18 Hindi reported in December 2025 that Rampal confirmed his engagement to Demetriades after six years of dating (News18 Hindi, Indian news network).

The implication: Rampal’s relationship structure is clear — one former marriage, one current long-term partnership with an engagement, but no second marriage. The household now includes four children total from both relationships.

Which actress has a crush on Arjun Rampal?

What did Deepika Padukone say about Arjun Rampal?

Deepika Padukone, one of Bollywood’s leading actresses, publicly confessed to having a massive crush on Arjun Rampal. The admission came during a media interaction where she spoke about her admiration for the actor, describing him as someone she had a crush on. This revelation has been widely cited in entertainment coverage and adds to Rampal’s long-standing image as a heartthrob within the industry.

What this means: The crush admission, while lighthearted, reinforces Rampal’s cross-generational appeal — he was a leading man during Padukone’s early career and remains a figure of interest for younger audiences discovering his work through newer releases like Dhurandhar.

How much was Arjun Rampal paid for Dhurandhar?

How much did Akshaye Khanna charge for Dhurandhar?

According to industry reports, Akshaye Khanna was reportedly paid ₹2 crore for his role in Dhurandhar. This figure has been cited in entertainment news as a reference point for the film’s casting budget. However, the exact payment to Arjun Rampal for the same film has not been disclosed publicly (ABP Live, Indian news outlet).

Did Ranveer Singh invest in Dhurandhar?

There have been reports and speculation about Ranveer Singh’s involvement with Dhurandhar, including whether he invested in the project. However, the available research notes do not confirm any financial investment by Singh in the film. What is clearer is that the film’s casting and budget have been topics of active discussion in entertainment media, with Rampal’s role being a central point of curiosity.

The pattern: Dhurandhar has become a lens through which the industry’s opaque fee structures are being examined. Without a confirmed figure for Rampal, the conversation remains speculative — but that speculation itself drives ongoing media interest.

Why did Arjun Rampal leave his wife?

Why did Arjun Rampal’s marriage with Mehr Jesia end?

Rampal has spoken publicly about the period leading up to the divorce, describing it as a dark phase in his life. In an interview with ABP Live (Indian news outlet), he recalled struggling with a failing marriage while simultaneously dealing with his mother’s cancer diagnosis. These overlapping personal crises, he said, created a period of intense emotional strain.

What challenges did Arjun Rampal face during that time?

Beyond the marriage and his mother’s health, Rampal lost his father and several close relationships during that same period. He has described the late 2010s as a time when multiple pillars of his personal life collapsed at once. The actor has been candid about how these losses reshaped his perspective, though he has not attributed the divorce to any single cause.

Why this matters: Rampal’s willingness to discuss the emotional toll of his divorce and family losses provides a rare window into the personal cost of public life. The timeline — a divorce in 2019, his mother’s cancer battle, and his father’s death — suggests a convergence of grief rather than a simple marital breakdown.

Why is Arjun Rampal not married to Gabriella?

What does Arjun Rampal say about marriage with Gabriella?

Rampal has stated that Gabriella Demetriades is not interested in marriage. According to his comments reported in entertainment media, the decision to remain unmarried is hers, not his. The couple has been engaged since 2025, as confirmed by News18 Hindi (Indian news network), but have not formalized the relationship with a wedding ceremony.

Reports from Aaj Tak (Indian news channel) indicate that the couple has been in a live-in arrangement for six to seven years and have two children together, yet marriage has not been a priority for Demetriades. This dynamic — an engaged couple who live together, share children, but remain unmarried — is increasingly common but still draws public curiosity in India’s entertainment landscape.

The trade-off: For Rampal, the engagement provides public commitment without the legal framework of marriage. For Demetriades, it preserves personal autonomy. The arrangement works for them, but it consistently generates headlines because it defies conventional Bollywood relationship scripts.

Timeline

• 1972 — Born on November 26 (MSN Entertainment).
• 1998 — Married Mehr Jesia.
• 2008 — Won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Rock On!!.
• 2019 — Divorced Mehr Jesia; began relationship with Gabriella Demetriades (Aaj Tak).
• 2024 — Starred in Dhurandhar; discussed personal struggles in interviews (ABP Live).
• 2025 — Confirmed engagement to Gabriella Demetriades (News18 Hindi).

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Arjun Rampal was born on November 26, 1972 (MSN Entertainment).
• He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Rock On!! (2008).
• He was married to Mehr Jesia from 1998 to 2019 and has three children with her (Aaj Tak).
• Deepika Padukone publicly confessed to having a crush on him.
• He is in a relationship with Gabriella Demetriades since 2019 and they are engaged (News18 Hindi).
• Net worth estimates range from $15 million (Celebrity Net Worth) to ₹120–350 crore (MSN, ABP Live, Koimoi) (Celebrity Net Worth).

What’s unclear

• Exact payment received by Arjun Rampal for Dhurandhar has not been disclosed (ABP Live).
• Current whereabouts and activities of Mehr Jesia are not documented in available sources.
• Whether Arjun Rampal regularly smokes remains unconfirmed by reliable reporting.
• Whether Ranveer Singh invested in Dhurandhar is not substantiated by available evidence.
• Net worth figures vary widely across sources, with no single authoritative figure (Koimoi, entertainment news site).

In their own words

“I went through a very dark phase — a failing marriage, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I lost my father, lost a lot of relationships.”

— Arjun Rampal, in an interview with ABP Live

“I have a massive crush on Arjun Rampal.”

— Deepika Padukone, as reported in entertainment media

“She is not interested in marriage.”

— Arjun Rampal, on Gabriella Demetriades’ stance on marriage, cited by News18 Hindi

Rampal’s own words paint a picture of a man who has weathered significant personal loss while maintaining a public career. The contrast between his on-screen confidence and his off-screen admissions of struggle is what makes his story resonate beyond film gossip.

Related reading: Kareena Kapoor: Biography, Marriage, Children, Net Worth · Samantha Ruth Prabhu: Biography, Disease & Relationships

For a deeper look into Arjun Rampals career and personal life, this article covers his journey from modeling to Bollywood stardom.

Frequently asked questions

For Arjun Rampal, the next chapter is defined by a settled partnership with Gabriella Demetriades, a growing family, and a film career that continues to generate curiosity. The Dhurandhar fee question may never get a public answer, but the demand for that answer reveals something about the audience: they want to know what a star of his calibre is actually worth — in contracts, in relationships, and in the industry’s ledger. For Bollywood fans tracking his journey, the implication is clear: watch the films, but also watch the personal choices, because they tell the story the press releases don’t.